MDE20568 - Little Rowley Farm, Parracombe (Building)

Little Rowley. This farm and the land attached to it are clearly shown on Robert Ballment's plan of Rowley Down dated 1 March 1797. [1,2] In absence of information to contrary, it is assumed that Little Rowley represents medieval enclosure of the down. Ballment's plan shows a number of "old banks" including some in the in-field which lies to northwest of farmhouse. Present day buildings are on same site as 1797 farm but the internal field boundaries have been changed, presumably in the late 19th Century. The boundary to the land, shown on Ballment's plan, can be followed for most of its course today, except on the northwest side. See separate entries for prehistoric and medieval features along this boundary, which is outlined on the Devon SMR map. [3] The farmstead is depicted and labelled on the Parracombe Tithe Map (no farmbuildings are shown on the Challacombe or Kentisbury sides of the Parish boundary). The extant farmhouse is shown, as well as two other much smaller buildings, one at c. SS65394284 and another against the Parish boundary at c. SS 6541 4283. Both of these latter buildings are shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map but the first one had been removed by the time the 2nd Edition map had been surveyed. The second building is now also no longer extant. [4-7] The farmstead was visited in 1996. The house was described as old but subject to recent alteration, with the older part of the property built across the contours. [8] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [9]